Spinach and Cottage Cheese Ravioli

There are some days when you say to yourself, “This is too easy and boring..Lets complicate life a bit.” Ok, no one really says that, but adding a little challenge to a mundane existence does spice things up! This kind of thinking also occurs in the beginning of the year when resolutions are made with hearts braver (or more foolish) than the rest of the saner months. So my challenge was to make ravioli – from scratch. Huh! Did I disappoint you? Maybe you thought I was going to Base Jump?? Well considering this is a food blog lets stick to my adventures in cooking. So here’s my Spinach and Cottage Cheese Ravioli, which really was a LABOUR of love. It took me a good 2 hours to make, cause I hand rolled the pasta. Of course you can be saner and just buy some and toss it into the pan… But where’s your sense of smug achievement? Happy New Year by the way. :)

Spinach and Cottage Cheese Ravioli

Cooking time: 2 hrs

Serves: 4

What you need:

Home Made Pasta:

1 ½ cup plain flour

2 med Eggs

2 Tbsp Oil

¼ tsp Salt

Filling:

1 Tbsp Oil

3 Garlic cloves

½ Onion

½ tsp Chili flakes

2 bunches fresh Spinach (blanch, drain and finely chop)

100 gms Cottage cheese

Sauce:

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Plain Flour

2-3 Tbsp Fresh Cream

1 cup Milk

100 gms Cheddar

¼ tsp Oregano and Parsley

¼ tsp Chili flakes

¼ tsp Salt

What to do:

Pasta: In a bowl sift flour with salt. Beat eggs with 1 tsp water add oil and mix. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to get a soft smooth dough. Keep covered for an hour to let the dough rise.

Filling: Heat oil, add minced garlic then chopped onion. Add chili flakes and sauté well. Add spinach let it wilt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from fire and cool. Mix grated cottage cheese and keep aside.

Sauce: Heat butter, take off the heat and add flour. Mix well and return to fire to cook for a minute. Add ¾ th of the milk slowly and cook to get a smooth thick sauce. Add the cream, remaining milk and half of the grated cheddar cheese. Give one boil and keep aside.

Now, roll the dough into 2 thin sheets. Place filling 1 inch apart. Cover with second sheet. Press both sheets together properly. Cut it into squares and immediately toss into salted boiling water and cook for 3-4 mins. Remove and plate the ravioli, spoon the sauce over it and garnish with chilli flakes and herbs.

P.S. I licked my plate clean! :)

Vegetarian Spaghetti Alla Putanesca

The reason I’m calling this a vegetarian Spaghetti Alla Putanesca is because the original recipe calls for anchovy fillets and I haven’t used any! Come to think of it, I actually have consciously avoided any recipe that calls for the use of anchovy. I love fish, I really do.. But in the form of canned fillets which remind me of cat food by the way… I have avoided them. I’ll let you know when I pick up the nerve to try some, but till then this recipe will be what it is. It’s a really simple, tasty and speedy dish by the way, so don’t hesitate to try it.

Spaghetti Alla Putanesca (sans anchovies)

Cooking time: 35 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)

1/2 cup Black olives (pitted and chopped)
1 Tbsp Capers, drained and rinsed

1 kg tomatoes, peeled and chopped

Pinch of Cayenne pepper/ chilli powder
1 dried Red Chilli, torn into pieces

Salt

400 gms dried Spaghetti

2 Tbsp chopped fresh Parsley to garnish

What to do:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Add the garlic and cook over low heat stirring frequently for about 2 mins. Add the tomatoes and mash them with a fork. Sauté for a few minutes. Add the olives,chilli and capers and season to taste with the salt and cayenne pepper. Cover and let simmer for 25 mins. Meanwhile bring a large heavy bottomed pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8-10 mins. Drain and transfer to a serving dish. Spoon the sauce into the dish and toss to coat the spaghetti. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. Simple!

Corn and Cheese Chowder

What is it about the color yellow that makes us think of summer and feel happy at the same time? Perfect for a dreary winter night, this chowder has loads of yellow in it! Corn, cheese, potatoes and cream. When you finally eat it, the happiness of the yellow gets transferred onto your face in the form of a content smile. Chowder is a thick soup, usually milk based, made with seafood, fish, vegetables or chicken. The name comes from the French chaudiere, a copper pot in which fishermen’s wives cooked a communal soup from a share of each man’s catch to celebrate the safe return of the fishing fleet from the sea. OK, so this recipe does not have fish but the story does make you feel all warm and benevolent, just like this soup!

Corn and Cheese Chowder

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 8

What you need:

90 gm Butter

2 large Onions, finely chopped

1 clove Garlic, crushed

2 tsps Cumin seeds

4 cups (1 ltr) Chicken stock

2 medium Potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup canned creamed Corn

2 cups fresh Corn kernels

1 cup cooked Macaroni

¼ cup chopped fresh Parsley

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Salt and freshly ground Black pepper to taste

¼ cup Cream (optional)

What to do:

Heat butter in a large heavy-based pan. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat for 5 mins or until golden. Add garlic and cumin seeds and cook for 1 min, stirring constantly. Add chicken stock. Bring to boil. Add potato; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins. Add creamed corn, corn kernels and parsley. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins more. Stir in cooked pasta, cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and cream. Heat gently until cheese melts. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped parsley. Heavenly summer in a bowl!

Hariyali Paneer Tikka (Grilled Cottage Cheese in Spicy Herb-Yoghurt Marinade)

If I had to have only one type of cuisine for the rest of my life it would have to be Indian food. Maybe I’m partial to it because I’m an Indian, but I’m lying if I say that’s the only reason. I’m actually kinda cheating when I say ONE type of cuisine, cause it’s not one actually :) Indian Cuisine is so diverse you can just spend the whole of your life sampling all the dishes and you would still have not covered half the country. Anyway, the recipe below is a North Indian favorite. You can serve it as a starter or a main course (like I have with some Ghee rice). You can substitute Ricotta for Cottage cheese, it would give you the same results. As for the Indian spices, if you don’t have them… then don't make the dish! It won’t be the same … Honest.

Hariyali Paneer Tikka

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Serves 6 as starter and 4 as main course

What you need:

500 gms paneer (cubed)

1 big Capsicum (diced)

1 big Tomato (diced)

1 big Onion (diced)

Marinade:

1 cup hung Yoghurt

1 Tbsp ground Mint leaves

1 Tbsp ground Coriander leaves

4 Green chillies

1 tsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp Garlic paste

½ tsp Garam masala powder

½ tsp Turmeric powder

Garnish:

1 tsp Chaat Masala

1 Tbsp Butter/ Oil

Salt to taste

Wooden skewers for grilling

What to do:

Soak the wooden skewers in water to avoid burning. Cut the cheese (paneer) and vegetables into big cubes. Mix all the marinade ingredients with the paneer and vegetables and refrigerate for half hour. Heat the grill. Skewer the paneer, capsicum, onion and tomato. Brush with butter. Grill for 15-20 mins till golden brown on all sides. Make sure you reposition frequently and brush with butter.

Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve with hot ghee rice and some raita. Wah!

Pasta With Peppers in a Cheese Sauce

One of the staple ingredients that I have in my kitchen is good quality pasta. You can toss in some veggies and sauce and voila you have something edible and yummy in less than 15 minutes. That definitely qualifies as a sure fire idea for a work day dinner. It also helps that the co-resident is a big fan of Cheese Sauce, so there will be no negotiating the day’s dinner plan when this recipe is announced. The main veggie in this recipe is Peppers or Capsicums, but you can substitute mushrooms, broccoli, corn, spinach etc etc etc. Be creative! Peppers can be found in a variety of colours - Red, Yellow, Green and Orange. Red peppers tend to be the sweetest when cooked, while the green ones are the spicy ones. So use them liberally to spice up your dish – taste and looks wise both! Peppers are also an excellent source of antioxidants so it probably will spice up your looks as well :)

 

Pasta with Peppers in a Cheese Sauce

Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves 4

What you need:

200 gms Pasta
2-3 Peppers (different colours)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic (minced) / 1 tsp Garlic Powder
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Flour
1 ½ cup Milk
½ cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mixed Herbs to garnish

What to do:

Wash and dice the peppers. Prepare pasta according to instructions on the packet. While the pasta is boiling, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic for a minute. Toss in the peppers and sauté for a further 5 mins. Season with salt. Keep aside. In a saucepan melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in flour and seasoning. Gradually add half the milk, stirring until well mixed. Bring back to the stove. Add the remaining milk and whisk until the sauce is smooth, thick and glossy. Cook for 5 mins. Add cheese and blend until smooth. Toss in the cooked pasta and peppers. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with herbs. Yummy!

Farfelle Alfredo with Chicken

Alfredo sauce is a world famous Italian sauce – for its wonderful flavor as much as its calorie rich ingredients! Butter, Cream and Parmesan Cheese. Well I’m not going to apologize that this post has nothing to offer for a person on a diet. But I will throw in a variation to make this recipe slightly less rich… ahem ahem. I have also used chicken but feel free to jump on the calorie bandwagon by substituting bacon. Fine, fine I really am not trying to fatten up the whole world, but being blissfully content for one night is not such a sin!

Farfelle Alfredo with Chicken

What you need:

2 skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp crushed garlic (optional for sauteing chicken)
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmesan
400 gms Farfelle Pasta
Salt to your taste
a little ground black pepper
a pinch of sugar
dash of nutmeg

What to Do:

The key to this recipe is keeping everything you need at hand, because you need to toss it all in at the right time and serve! So lets split it into three parts shall we. One – Pasta. Two – Alfredo Sauce. Three – Chicken. Let’s start with boiling the pasta. Just follow the instructions on the packet and you should be fine. Sprinkle some sea salt into the pot for to bring out the taste. While the pasta is boiling, lets prepare the chicken. Saute the chicken with garlic in the olive oil, till the juices run clear. Keep aside. Finally the Alfredo Sauce. Melt the butter in a large pan (enough to hold the pasta and chicken at the end). Make sure the heat is very low. To avoid the cream from curdling, if it boils. Now slowly add ¾ of the cream and stir till it has reduced slightly. Now add the parmesan cheese and stir till it has melted into the cream. Toss in the chicken and the remaining cream. Add seasoning, a pinch of sugar and nutmeg. Finally add the cooked farfelle and 2 Tbsp of the reserved cooking water. Fold till all the ingredients are one happy dish. Serve hot!

P.S. Reheating this dish in the microwave really does not do any justice. I would suggest preparing the sauce just before serving.

Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce

So here’s THE sauce that I was talking about. It’s pretty much a fail safe recipe and so much more flavorful and satisfying than the store bought varieties. Also when there is an overload of tomatoes in the market which you bought home just because they looked “so nice and juicy”, I suggest putting them to good use in this recipe. This sauce recipe can be used in so many dishes that it’s great to have around. And it’s perfectly healthy!!!


Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce

What you need:
1 kg Tomatoes (pureed)
500 gms Blanched Tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 Large Onion, minced
6 cloves
1 teaspoons basil
1 Tbsp Rock salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

What to do:
In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Squash the blanched tomatoes with your hands in a bowl and toss into the pot. Saute for a 3-5 mins. Now add the puree. Season with the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20-30 mins. Check seasoning. Mamma Mia!

Aubergine Parmesana – fit for Royalty

Aubergines/ Eggplants are not the co-resident’s favorite vegetable. Forget favorite, it does not even feature in an “I like” list. So when I suggested I was going to make Aubergine Parmesana, the response was a turned up nose and a resigned sigh. Not an encouraging start! When I started frying the aubergine, there was a grunt of approval and finally when the dish popped out of the oven, he ate more than me. So I’ve copied this recipe to help you convert others, after all who can hate a vegetable which is the color of royalty – purple!


Aubergine Parmesana

What you need:
1 large/ 2 small Aubergines/ Eggplants
2 Med Eggs
Flour for dusting
Salt and Pepper to taste
Oil for frying
2 cups Italian Tomato Sauce (Store/ Home made)
2 Garlic cloves
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
A few leaves of fresh Basil/ 2 Tbsp dried Basil
150 gms Mozzarella cheese (grated)
½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

What to do:
Preheat oven to 375F/ 190C. Start by salting and pressing the eggplant (aubergine). You need to do this several hours before you start the main part of the preparation. Cut the eggplant into ¼-inch slices, and arrange these on a large plate. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt. Place another plate on top, and then place something heavy on top of that. When you are ready to start cooking, wash the eggplant thoroughly and dry with a paper towel. Coat each slice with a little flour, dip in the beaten egg mixture (season with salt and pepper), and deep fry for a few minutes in the heated olive oil. Drain on paper towels.

Heat a tsp of oil and sauté the bruised Garlic cloves and red pepper flakes. Add the tomato sauce and heat through. Mix in the Basil. Keep aside.

Grease a medium baking pan with cooking spray. Put enough of the tomato sauce to coat pan. Next layer eggplant slices, a little bit of both cheeses and a little more tomato sauce. Repeat layers ending with a topping of both cheeses. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes Cook removing the lid about ten minutes before serving. Let it cool for 15 mins before serving.

P.S. Look out for my Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce recipe in my next post.

Hummus Bi Tahini

Hummus is a dip/ spread that is made from chickpeas. In fact, hummus is the Arabic word for Chick pea. The cool thing about Middle eastern food is that no recipe is set in stone. You can vary the ingredients to suit your taste and still end up with something amazing on your plate. This delicious puree can be served over salad, as part of a Turkish style mezze, a dip or even as a sandwich filling. Don't let rules bind you … go have some fun!


Hummus Bi Tahini (with Tahini – sesame paste)

What you need:
Juice of two lemons
2 Garlic cloves, sliced
2/3 cup Tahini paste
Flat leaf parsley – to garnish
¾ cup dried Chickpeas
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Ground Black pepper, to taste
Extra Olive oil and Cayenne pepper for sprinkling

What to do:
Put the chickpeas in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and leave them to soak overnight.

Throughly rinse and drain the chickpeas, then place them in a large pan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 mins. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 ¼ - 2 hrs until soft. Drain the chick peas in a colander and puree in a food processor until they form a smooth paste.

Add the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, cayenne pepper and tahini paste and blend until creamy, scraping the mixture down from the sides of the bowl. Season the puree with plenty of salt and black pepper and transfer to a serving dish.

Sprinkle with a little olive oil and cayenne pepper, and garnish with a few parsley sprigs. Serve
with toasted pitta bread and olives if you like.

NOTE: Tahini is a paste that is made from sesame seeds, cumin and sesame oil. It is used in many middle eastern recipes, so it is a useful ingredient to have.

Chicken in Mustard Cream Sauce

My friends and I went to this beautiful restaurant in Bangalore, 100Ft Boutique and they served a lovely Chicken in Mustard Cream sauce. I was hooked and had to try to replicate the recipe at home. So after scrounging the net for about an hour I realized that Mustard Cream Sauce is a classic recipe that every culinary student will learn sometime in their career. So my learning begins now. The recipe called for Chicken breasts but I used some drumsticks as well. I also used a mix of both white wine and chicken stock. I served the chicken with carrot shavings and mashed potatoes. If I must say, it turned out pretty darned good. Maybe I’ll try the sauce over some grilled fish next time… Sublime!


Chicken in Mustard Cream Sauce

What you need:
4 Chicken Breasts
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper powder
Flour for dredging
1 cup dry White wine/ Chicken stock
¼ cup chopped Shallots
2 tsp Oil
2 cups Cream
¼ cup Dijon Mustard
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper powder
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

What to do:
Mix flour, salt, pepper and Cayenne in a zip lock bag. Add Chicken pieces and shake well to coat all the pieces. Take them out and place on a wire rack in the refrigerator for about 20 mins.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté until cooked through, 10-12 mins. Transfer to a plate, keep warm.

Heat oil in a saucepan, add shallots and sauté until translucent. Add wine/stock and bring to a boil and cook until reduces to half. About 2 mins. Whisk in cream, mustard, salt, cayenne and tarragon. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 2 mins.

Pour any accumulated chicken juices into the sauce. Right before serving drizzle cream sauce over chicken.